_As the saying goes, “Show me your friends, and I’ll tell you who you are.” Who are the bedfellows of the ELCA? In a past blog, Exposing the ELCA revealed the close ties and similar ideologies the ELCA has with the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations. (read here)
Now we find that the ELCA is also very close with an organization called the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA). Here is some information about the ISNA:
- “(T)he United States Department of Justice named ISNA . . . as an unindicted co-conspirator and one of a number of ‘entities who are and/or were members of the US Muslim Brotherhood.’” (see here)
- “According to columnist Rod Dreher's interpretation of court documents, ‘ISNA is an integral part of the [Muslim] Brotherhood's efforts to wage jihad against America through non-violent means.’" (see here)
- “(T)he FBI has uncovered internal Muslim Brotherhood documents naming ISNA as ‘one of our organizations and the organizations of our friends.’” (see here)
- “ISNA was created by members of the Muslim Brotherhood – a radical Egyptian movement that seeks to spread Shariah law globally – in the U.S. Many of those founders remain in leadership positions with ISNA. (read here)
(If you would like more details pertaining to the Muslim Brotherhood, what they are and what they stand for, check out this article)
So with that information about the ISNA and the Muslim Brotherhood, let's look at relationship the ELCA has to the ISNA:- The national director for the Office for Interfaith and Community Alliances of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) spoke to the 2011 ELCA Churchwide Assembly. (see here) The ELCA website quotes the ISNA speaker as saying, “(w)e have worked with your organization and leaders [and] we have seen this tireless leader of yours, who’s been here for hours and hours. But I’ve seen him in the corridors of power speaking the truth about issues … whether it is about peace in the Middle East or anti-Muslim bigotry in America. . . we are working together in shaping the new millennium.” (read here) The ISNA representative received three standing ovations from the ELCA leadership at the Assembly.
- ELCA Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson said the following at the ELCA 2011 Churchwide Assembly,“I’m very pleased to now welcome an interfaith partner to this assembly. Dr. Sayyid Sayeed, is the National Director for the Office for Interfaith and Community Alliances of the Islamic Society of North America. He has become a close friend. We share a deep commitment to our growing relationship and dialog, but not just in dialog, in our working together to build a more peaceful and just world both in this country and in places of tension throughout the world.”(see here - plenary six)
- Presiding Bishop Hanson turned to the ISNA representative and said, “ . . . I hope you hear both our warm response to your being here, but beneath that, the commitment to walk together.” (see here - plenary six)
- The ELCA official website has the ISNA listed under a section called “Our Partners.” (see here)
- The Islamic Society of North America lists and links to the ELCA on a page entitled “Our Partners.” (you can go to their website and find the link)
- ELCA website links to the ISNA’s website. (see here)
- The Rev. Donald J. McCoid, Executive for Ecumenical and Inter-Religious Relations, represented the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, ELCA presiding bishop, at an emergency interfaith summit called by the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) (see here)
- Rev. Rafael Malpica-Padilla, Executive Director of the ELCA's Division for Global Mission and ISNA representative hold a press conference with other faith leaders. (see here)
The ELCA leadership is working with and partnering with the ISNA, an organization that is said to have very close ties to the Muslim Brotherhood. If this doesn't make ELCA members question what kind of denomination they are members of, I don't know what will.
_I came across “this gem” by way of facebook. Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary (PLTS), an ELCA school, posted a video titled “S**t Seminarians Say” (the curse words were edited by Exposing the ELCA) on their facebook page. (see PLTS’s page here)
Let me be clear, this is on the seminary’s official facebook page, not a PLTS student’s page.If you watch the video your treated to an individual use the “F” word. The exact phrase is "I ****in' love kale." (see video here)
The video was an attempt at humor, and I am sure many will find it humorous. I just don’t know why one of our ELCA seminaries, whose job it is to instruct the future leaders of our denomination, would post a video that contains this kind of language.
The video is the work of theradicalspirit.org. The website claims to be “an online journal of Unitarian Univeralist hope.”
And for those of you that may think I am nitpicking here, please consider the following Scripture:
Ephesians 5:4 - Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.
Matthew 15:10-11 - And he called the people to him and said to them, “Hear and understand: it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.”
Colossians 3:8 - But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.
James 3:10 - From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.
Ephesians 4:29 - Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.
It seems that the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) will collaborate with anyone, as long as it works to further their political and social justice agenda.
The Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations (UUA) is not a Christian denomination. They describe themselves this way, "Unitarian Universalism is a caring, open-minded religion that encourages seekers to find their own spiritual path. Our faith draws on many religious sources, welcoming people with different beliefs." (see here)
With that in mind, let’s look at the strong connection and relationship the ELCA has with the Unitarian Universalist Association by looking at some of the organizations and causes that the ELCA and the UUA are members of or associated with.- The ELCA Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program lists the Unitarian Universalist Association and the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (see here) under the heading “Faith Partners,” (subheading “Protestant Socially Responsibly Investing Partners”)
- The ELCA participates in the Inter-religious Organizing Initiative (IOI) with the Unitarian Universalists. The IOI strives to win policy changes on justice issues. (see here)
- The ELCA and UUA are in a coalition together called Churches for Middle East Peace. The coalition advocates for its vision for “peace” in the Middle East. (see here)
- The UUA and ELCA are both partners with the Islamic Society of North America Office for Interfaith and Community Alliances. (see here)
- Both the UUA and the ELCA are listed as Network Council Organizations of the Jubilee USA Network. (see here)
- The ELCA and the UUA are part of Faithful Reform in Healthcare. (see here)
- The ELCA collaborates with the Ecumenical Justice Partners Network in anti-racism work. Unitarian Universalist Association is one of the six partners that the ELCA works with in this venture. (see here)
- Both the ELCA and the UUA are members together in the US Faith and Ethics Network for the International Criminal Court (US FENICC). (see here)
- The ELCA and the UUA have partnered with The Campaign for U.S. Ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). (see here)
- Both are members of the Odyssey Networks which is dedicated to promoting tolerance, peace and social justice through the production and distribution of media. (see here)
- The UUA and the ELCA are fellow members of the Interfaith Disability Advocacy Coalition (IDAC). (see here)
- Both the ELCA and the UUA have taken part in the efforts of the National Low Income Housing Coalition. (see here)
- Evangelical Lutheran Church in America - Sierra Pacific Synod and Unitarian Universalist Ministers Association-Pacific Southwest District Chapter both endorse the efforts of Californians for a Moratorium on Executions in Calling for a Time-Out on Executions in California. (see here)
- The ELCA and the UUA supported The Democracy Restoration Act (DRA), which is federal legislation that seeks to restore voting rights in federal elections to the nearly 4 million ex -prisoners. (see here)
- Both are Coalition Members of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. (see here)
- The UUA and the ELCA are both “endorsing groups” in the Interreligious Working Group on Domestic Human Needs. (see here)
- Interfaith Funders (IF) is a network of faith-based and secular grantmakers committed to social change and economic justice. Members of this network included The Evangelical Lutheran Church In America's Division for Church in Society, Unitarian Universalist Funding Panels and Unitarian Universalist Veatch Program at Shelter Rock. (see here)
Here are a few letters from the Interreligious Working Group on Domestic Human Needs, which the ELCA and UUA collaborated on and signed:- A Faith Reflection on the Federal Budget. (see here)
- Letter to Congress on the expiration of TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program). (see here)
- Faith community representatives ask President Bush and Senator Kerry to address the issue of poverty in the United States. (see here)
- Letter - Statement: To Preserve and Strengthen Social Security: Religious Organization Statement of Principles. (see here)
- Letter to Senators. (see here)
- Letter To Senators Calling for Renewal of Expiring Provisions of the Voting Rights Act. (see here)
- Letter to President Bush Encouraging Support of Uganda Peace Negotiations - signed by Presiding Bishop of the ELCA and the President of the UUA. (see here)
Here are more letters signed by the Unitarian Universalist Association and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.- The Interfaith Platform on Humane Immigration Reform Letter. (see here)
- Sign-On Letter: Protect HUD Funding. Both the ELCA and the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations signed. (read here)
- The Religious Statement on Foreign Assistance Reform. (read here)
- The Religious Working Group on Water's letter “Water for All.” (see here)
- The Interfaith Disability Advocacy Coalition (IDAC). (see here)
(This is not an exhaustive list of the working relationship between the ELCA and the UUA. With more research I am sure more connections could be established.)
As you can see, the ELCA and the Unitarian Universalist Association have very similar agendas and find themselves working together on so many issues. This is not a coincidence. The ELCA has become a liberal, non-orthodox, non-traditional, non-Bible believing denomination which finds itself working and associating most often with likeminded denominations and religions.
When you throw out the clear Truth of Scripture as the ELCA and UUA have done, when you cast the Great Commission out the window, you have to invest your time and energies in “works” which are elevated into the reason for the church’s existence. And when you are all about “works” it doesn’t matter who is helping you, as long as you accomplish your political and social justice driven goals.
The Bible says, “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols?” - 2 Corinthians 6:14-16
Some people may ask, “What fellowship can the ELCA have with Unitarian Universalists?” The real question should be, “What fellowship can Bible believing Lutheran Christians have with the ELCA?”
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